U.S. patent application number 14/176928 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-11 for device-specific restrictive content delivery.
This patent application is currently assigned to UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.. Invention is credited to Craig S. Etchegoyen.
Application Number | 20140258529 14/176928 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51489308 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140258529 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Etchegoyen; Craig S. |
September 11, 2014 |
DEVICE-SPECIFIC RESTRICTIVE CONTENT DELIVERY
Abstract
A content control server implements a service similar to the
National Do-Not-Call Registry for on-line content in which a user
of a device can request that advertising content received from an
ad server be restricted to one or more types of acceptable content.
The types of content that are to be allowed and/or denied delivery
to the device are associated with an identifier of the device. The
identifier can be a digital fingerprint of the device. The types of
content that can be controlled in the manner described herein are
organized in a hierarchy.
Inventors: |
Etchegoyen; Craig S.;
(Plano, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Uniloc Luxembourg S.A. |
Luxembourg |
|
LU |
|
|
Assignee: |
UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A.
Luxembourg
LU
|
Family ID: |
51489308 |
Appl. No.: |
14/176928 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61774316 |
Mar 7, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/225 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0277
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/225 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/24 20060101
H04L012/24 |
Claims
1. A method for controlling content delivery to a device through a
computer network, the method comprising: receiving content type
data from the device wherein the content type data represents one
or more types of content that is to be denied delivery to the
device; storing the content type data with an identifier of the
device; receiving content delivery data representing an intent to
deliver one or more types of content to the device; determining
that one or more denied ones of the types of content represented by
the content delivery data are also types of content represented by
the content type data; and denying delivery to the device of
content of the one or more denied types.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the device identifier is a digital
fingerprint of the device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the content type data represents
one or more types of content that is to be denied delivery to the
device implicitly by explicitly representing one or more types of
content that are exclusively to be allowed delivery to the
device.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the content type data represents
one or more types of content of a larger collection of types of
content wherein the collection of types of content is
hierarchical.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining that one or more
denied ones of the types of content represented by the content
delivery data are also types of content represented by the content
type data comprises: determining that the content type data
represents a first type of content that is to be denied delivery to
the device; and determining that the content delivery data
represents an intent to deliver a second type of content to the
device; wherein the first type of content is a parent of the second
type of content within the hierarchy of the collection of types of
content.
6. A non-transitory computer readable medium useful in association
with a first device which includes one or more processors and a
memory, the computer readable medium including computer
instructions which are configured to cause the client device, by
execution of the computer instructions in the one or more
processors from the memory, to control content delivery to a device
through a computer network by at least: receiving content type data
from the device wherein the content type data represents one or
more types of content that is to be denied delivery to the device;
storing the content type data with an identifier of the device;
receiving content delivery data representing an intent to deliver
one or more types of content to the device; determining that one or
more denied ones of the types of content represented by the content
delivery data are also types of content represented by the content
type data; and denying delivery to the device of content of the one
or more denied types.
7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the device
identifier is a digital fingerprint of the device.
8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the content type
data represents one or more types of content that is to be denied
delivery to the device implicitly by explicitly representing one or
more types of content that are exclusively to be allowed delivery
to the device.
9. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the content type
data represents one or more types of content of a larger collection
of types of content wherein the collection of types of content is
hierarchical.
10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein determining
that one or more denied ones of the types of content represented by
the content delivery data are also types of content represented by
the content type data comprises: determining that the content type
data represents a first type of content that is to be denied
delivery to the device; and determining that the content delivery
data represents an intent to deliver a second type of content to
the device; wherein the first type of content is a parent of the
second type of content within the hierarchy of the collection of
types of content.
11. A device comprising: at least one processor; a computer
readable medium that is operatively coupled to the processor;
network access circuitry that is operatively coupled to the
processor; and content control logic (i) that executes at least in
part in the processor from the computer readable medium and (ii)
that, when executed, causes the device to control content delivery
to a device through a computer network by at least: receiving
content type data from the device wherein the content type data
represents one or more types of content that is to be denied
delivery to the device; storing the content type data with an
identifier of the device; receiving content delivery data
representing an intent to deliver one or more types of content to
the device; determining that one or more denied ones of the types
of content represented by the content delivery data are also types
of content represented by the content type data; and denying
delivery to the device of content of the one or more denied
types.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein the device identifier is a
digital fingerprint of the device.
13. The device of claim 11 wherein the content type data represents
one or more types of content that is to be denied delivery to the
device implicitly by explicitly representing one or more types of
content that are exclusively to be allowed delivery to the
device.
14. The device of claim 11 wherein the content type data represents
one or more types of content of a larger collection of types of
content wherein the collection of types of content is
hierarchical.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein determining that one or more
denied ones of the types of content represented by the content
delivery data are also types of content represented by the content
type data comprises: determining that the content type data
represents a first type of content that is to be denied delivery to
the device; and determining that the content delivery data
represents an intent to deliver a second type of content to the
device; wherein the first type of content is a parent of the second
type of content within the hierarchy of the collection of types of
content.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application 61/774,316, filed Mar. 7, 2013, which is fully
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to computer networks
and, more particularly, methods of and systems for improving a
person's control over on-line content presented to the user.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Advertising in various forms has crept its way into nearly
everyone's life. People experience few waking moments that don't
involve some sort of sales pitch. In most contexts, the sales
pitches are limited in time, context, and content. For example,
obscene content is not permitted on most Television and radio
stations and in public places like billboards. Advertising on
Television and radio are limited, at least as a practical matter,
to a certain portion of time relative to the time in which the
non-advertising content is presented. For example, most radio
stations don't advertise more than 20 minutes of every hour for
fear of losing their audience.
[0006] Advertising on-line is different. There's nothing to prevent
a web page from having 80% of its area devoted to advertising
rather than non-advertising, substantive content. There's nothing
to prevent advertisements with content that is offensive, sexual,
or otherwise undesirable being displayed.
[0007] What is needed is a way to improve a person's ability to
control the nature of content presented to the person when using
on-line products and services.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the present invention, a content control
server implements a service similar to the National Do-Not-Call
Registry implemented in the United States for on-line content in
which a user of a device can request that advertising content
received from an ad server be restricted to one or more types of
acceptable content. The user specifies one or more types of content
that are to be denied delivery to the device. The user can specify
these types of content explicitly or implicitly by specifying one
or more types content that are exclusively allowed to be delivered
to the device.
[0009] Prior to delivering content to the device, a server or other
source of the content provides data representing one or more types
of data intended to be delivered to the device and an identifier of
the device. The content control server retrieves the data
representing whether the types of data are to be allowed or denied
delivery to the device and sends data representing the results to
the server. The server then delivers only content of allowed types
to the device.
[0010] The types of content that are to be allowed and/or denied
delivery to the device are associated with an identifier of the
device. By associating the types with an identifier of the device
and not the user, the content control is completely anonymous. The
identifier can be a digital fingerprint of the device.
[0011] The types of content that can be controlled in the manner
described herein are organized in a hierarchy. Accordingly, the
user can specify broad or very specific types of content to be
allowed or denied delivery.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the
invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the
art upon examination of the following figures and detailed
description. It is intended that all such additional systems,
methods, features and advantages be included within this
description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected
by the accompanying claims. Component parts shown in the drawings
are not necessarily to scale, and may be exaggerated to better
illustrate the important features of the invention. In the
drawings, like reference numerals may designate like parts
throughout the different views, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a client device, a server, an ad
server, and a content control server that cooperate to restrict
types of content that can be delivered to the client device in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a transaction flow diagram illustrating
registration of the device of FIG. 1 with the content control
server of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a transaction flow diagram illustrating control of
the types of content to be delivered to the device of FIG. 1 in
accordance with the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a device record used by
the content control server of FIG. 1 to control of the types of
content to be delivered to the device of FIG. 1 in accordance with
the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a content type record that
specifies a type of content that can be controlled by the content
control server of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the content control server
of FIG. 1 in greater detail.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the client device of FIG.
1 in greater detail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] In accordance with the present invention, a content control
server 110 (FIG. 1) implements a service similar to the U.S.'s
National Do-Not-Call Registry for on-line content in which a user
of device 102 can request that advertising content received from an
ad server 108 be restricted to one or more types of acceptable
content.
[0021] Device 102 is connected to a wide area network (WAN) 104
and, therethrough, to a web server 106, ad server 108, and content
control server 110. In this illustrative embodiment, WAN 104 is the
Internet, web server 106 provides a web-based service that the user
of device 102 is using, and ad server 108 delivers advertisements
to be included with the web-based service provided by web server
106.
[0022] Transaction flow diagram 200 (FIG. 2) represents the manner
in which device 102 registers itself with content control server
108 such that content to be delivered to device 102 can
subsequently be controlled.
[0023] In step 202, device 102 sends a request for registration to
content control server 110. The request can be in the form of a URL
specified by the user of device 102 using a web browser 720 (FIG.
7) executing in device 102 and conventional user interface
techniques involving physical manipulation of user input devices
708. Web browser 720 and user input devices 708 and other
components of device 102 are described in greater detail below.
[0024] In step 204 (FIG. 2), content control server 110 sends a
registration page to device 102, and the registration page includes
a request for device attributes of device 102 from which a globally
unique identifier (GUID) for device 102 can be formed.
[0025] The request sent to device 102 includes content that causes
web browser 720 (FIG. 7) of device 102 to gather attribute data
representing hardware and other configuration attributes of device
102. In one embodiment, a web browser plug-in 722 is installed in
device 102 and, invoked by web browser 720, processes the content
of the web page to gather the attribute data in step 206. In other
embodiments, the attribute data can be gathered by other forms of
logic of device 102, such as digital fingerprint generator 740
installed in device 102. The various elements of device 102 and
their interaction are described more completely below.
[0026] In this illustrative embodiment, web browser plug-in 722
(FIG. 7) or digital fingerprint generator 740 encrypts the
attribute data using a public key of content control server 110 and
public key infrastructure (PKI).
[0027] In step 208 (FIG. 2), device 102 sends the attribute data
that was gathered in step 206 to content control server 110.
[0028] In response to receipt of the attribute data in step 208,
content control server 110 sends a content permissions page to
device 102. The content permissions page includes a user-interface
that the user of device 102 can use to specify various types of
content that are allowed and various types of content that are
prohibited for presentation on device 102.
[0029] In step 212, web browser 720 (FIG. 7) of device 102 displays
the content permissions page through one or more output devices 710
and receives signals generated by the user through physical
manipulation of one or more of input devices 708, where the signals
represent choices made by the user as to which types of content are
allowed and which are prohibited for delivery to device 102.
[0030] In step 214 (FIG. 2), device 102 sends content permissions
data representing the user's choices to content control server
110.
[0031] In step 216, device registration logic 620 (FIG. 6) of
content control server 110 creates a device registration record for
device 102 from the received attribute and content permissions
data. Content control server 110 creates a device registration
record in the form of device record 402 (FIG. 4) for device 102 by
creating a digital fingerprint 404 for device 102 from the received
attribute data as a globally unique device identifier. Device
record 402 is described more completely below in greater
detail.
[0032] In step 218 (FIG. 2), content control server 110 sends a
report of successful registration to device 102. After step 218
(FIG. 2), processing according to transaction flow diagram 200
completes and device 102 is registered for subsequent content
control with content control server 110.
[0033] Content control server 110 includes device permissions 630
(FIG. 6) that in turn includes device records such as device record
402 (FIG. 4). Device record 402 specifies the types of content that
are allowed and/or denied to be delivered to device 102. Digital
fingerprint 404 of device record 402 identifies device 102 as the
device to which device record 402 pertains. Digital fingerprints
offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to
spoofing that are IP addresses and MAC addresses. Digital
fingerprints are known and described in U.S. Patent Application
Publication 2011/0093503 for "Computer Hardware Identity Tracking
Using Characteristic Parameter-Derived Data" by Craig S. Etchegoyen
(filed Apr. 21, 2011) and that description is incorporated herein
in its entirety by reference.
[0034] Device record 402 (FIG. 4) also includes an allowed content
record 406 and denied content record 412. Allowed content record
406 includes a number of content type records 408, each of which
identifies a type of content that is allowed to be delivered to
device 102. Denied content record 412 includes a number of content
type records 414, each of which identifies a type of content that
is prohibited from being delivered to device 102.
[0035] Content type record 502 (FIG. 5) shows the structure of
content type records 408 and 414 in greater detail.
[0036] Type identifier 504 is an identifier of the particular
content type represented by content type record 502 (sometimes
referred to as the subject content type in the context of FIG. 5)
and is unique among content type identifiers used by content
control server 110.
[0037] Description 506 is a textual description of the subject
content type. Description 506 is used to produce the permissions
page sent in step 210 (FIG. 2) so that the user can be informed of
the particular content types as the user specifies which are
allowed and which are prohibited.
[0038] Parent type record 508 identifies a content type record as a
parent content type in a content type hierarchy. Organizing content
types as a hierarchy allows the user to select large categories of
content types and/or finely detailed content types. For example,
one user can deny access to device 102 to all advertising and
another user can deny access to only advertising of an adult nature
and for violent video games.
[0039] Transaction flow diagram 300 (FIG. 3) illustrates the use of
content control server 110 to control types of content delivered to
device 102.
[0040] In step 302, device 102 sends a request for a web page to
server 106. The request can be in the form of a URL specified by
the user of device 102 using web browser 720 (FIG. 7) and
conventional user interface techniques involving physical
manipulation of user input devices 708.
[0041] In step 304 (FIG. 3), server 106 sends the web page that is
identified by the request received in step 302. In this
illustrative example, the web page sent to device 102 includes URLs
to advertising content to be served by ad server 108. In presenting
the web page within device 102, web browser 720 (FIG. 7) parses
those URLs in step 306 (FIG. 3) and sends those URLs to ad server
108 in step 308.
[0042] In step 310, ad server 108 sends an identifier of device 102
and data identifying the particular type of content requested by
the URLs received in step 308 to content control server 110. The
device identifier can be received from device 102 in step 308 or
can be an identifier of device 102 that is accessible to ad server
108, such as a MAC address for example.
[0043] In step 312, content control server 110 generates and
cryptographically signs a session key. Session keys and their
generation are known and are not described herein. In addition,
content control server 110 creates a device key challenge and
encrypts the device key challenge using a public key of device 102
and public-key infrastructure (PKI).
[0044] To create the device key challenge, content control server
110 uses the device identifier received in step 310 to identify and
retrieve the particular device record 402 (FIG. 4) that corresponds
to device 102. The device key challenge specifies all or part(s) of
a number of attribute data records of digital fingerprint 404 are
to be used by device 102 to form a dynamic device key for proper
identification and authentication.
[0045] In step 314 (FIG. 3), content control server 110 sends the
session key and the device key challenge to ad server 108.
[0046] In step 316, ad server 108 sends a "device authenticating"
page to device 102 along with the device key challenge. The "device
authenticating" page includes content that causes device 102 to
produce a dynamic device key in accordance with the device key
challenge.
[0047] The device key challenge causes web browser 720 (FIG. 7) of
device 102 to generate a device identifier, sometimes referred to
herein as a dynamic device key (DDK), for device 102 in the form of
digital fingerprint 742. In one embodiment, a web browser plug-in
722 is installed in client device 102 and, invoked by web browser
720, processes the content of the web page to generate digital
fingerprint 742. In other embodiments, digital fingerprint 742 can
be generated by other forms of logic of device 102, such as digital
fingerprint generator 740, which is a software application
installed in device 102.
[0048] The device key challenge specifies the manner in which
digital fingerprint 742 is to be generated from the attributes of
device 102. The challenge specifies a randomized sampling of
attributes of device 102, allowing the resulting digital
fingerprint 742 to change each time device 102 is authenticated.
There are a few advantages to having digital fingerprint 742
represent different samplings of the attributes of device 102. One
is that any data captured in a prior authentication of device 102
cannot be used to spoof authentication of device 102 using a
different device when the challenge has changed. Another is that,
since only a small portion of the attributes of device 102 are used
for authentication at any time, the full set of attributes of
device 102 cannot be determined from one, a few, several, or even
many authentications of device 102.
[0049] In particular, the device key challenge specifies items of
information to be collected from hardware and system configuration
attributes of device 102 and the manner in which those items of
information are to be combined to form digital fingerprint 742. The
generation of a dynamic device key from a device key challenge is
described in U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2011/0009092
and those descriptions are incorporated herein.
[0050] Once digital fingerprint 742 (FIG. 7) is generated according
to the received device key challenge, device 102 encrypts digital
fingerprint 742 using a public key of content control server 110
and PKI.
[0051] In step 320 (FIG. 3), device 102 sends the encrypted dynamic
device key to ad server 108, and ad server 108 sends the encrypted
dynamic device key to content control server 110 in step 322.
[0052] In step 324, content restriction logic 624 (FIG. 6) of
content control server 110 decrypts and authenticates the received
DDK. The authentication of a dynamic device key from a device key
challenge is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication US
2011/0009092 and those descriptions are incorporated herein.
Briefly, content restriction logic 624 applies the same device key
challenge to digital fingerprint 404 (FIG. 4) to determine that
device record 404 corresponds to device 102 if the resulting DDK
matches the one received in step 322 (FIG. 3).
[0053] Once device 102 is properly authenticated, content control
server 110 determines whether delivery of the types of data to be
sent to device 102 by ad server 108 is allowed or denied for device
102 in step 326. In one embodiment, any content of a type
represented by any of content type records 408 in allowed content
record 406 is allowed and content of all other types is denied.
Content is of a type represented by a particular content type
record, e.g., content type record 502 (FIG. 5), if the content is
of the type represented by type identifier 504 or any type
identifier of a parent content type record of content type record
502.
[0054] In an alternative embodiment, any content of a type
represented by any of content type records 414 in denied content
record 412 is denied and content of all other types is allowed. In
yet another embodiment, content of a particular type can be
represented in both allowed content record 406 and denied content
record 412. For example, one of content type records 414 can
identify advertising content, one of content type records 408 can
identify content that advertises sporting goods, and one of content
type records 414 can identify content that advertises sporting
goods used for hunting. When processing a particular content type
received in step 310 (FIG. 3), content control server 110
determines whether the content type is allowed or denied according
to the one of content type records 408 (FIG. 4) and 414 that is
most closely related to the received content type in the hierarchy
defined by parent type records such as parent type record 508 (FIG.
5). Thus, in this illustrative example, content is denied if it's
advertising content unless it's also content that advertises
sporting goods that are not for hunting.
[0055] In step 328 (FIG. 3), content control server 110 sends data
representing whether each of the content types received in step 310
are allowed for device 102 to ad server 108.
[0056] In step 330, ad server 108 send any content that is
identified by a URL received in step 308 and is allowed for device
102 according to the results received in step 328. In addition, for
all content that is identified by a URL received in step 308 and
that is denied according to the results received in step 328, ad
server 108 sends filler content. Filler content is content that is
blank or bland and that fills any space that would have been filled
by denied content if the denied content were not denied.
Accordingly, web browser 720 (FIG. 7) believes that all content
requested in step 308 has been received and will not re-request the
content or continue to wait for the content.
[0057] Content control server 110 is shown in greater detail in
FIG. 6. Content control server 110 includes one or more
microprocessors 602 (collectively referred to as CPU 602) that
retrieve data and/or instructions from memory 604 and execute
retrieved instructions in a conventional manner. Memory 604 can
include generally any computer-readable medium including, for
example, persistent memory such as magnetic and/or optical disks,
ROM, and PROM and volatile memory such as RAM.
[0058] CPU 602 and memory 604 are connected to one another through
a conventional inter-connect 606, which is a bus in this
illustrative embodiment and which connects CPU 602 and memory 604
to network access circuitry 612. Network access circuitry 612 sends
and receives data through computer networks such as LAN 104 (FIG.
1).
[0059] A number of components of content control server 110 are
stored in memory 604. In particular, web server logic 620 and web
application logic 622, including content restriction logic 624, are
all or part of one or more computer processes executing within CPU
602 from memory 604 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be
implemented using digital logic circuitry.
[0060] Web server logic 620 is a conventional web server. Web
application logic 622 is content that defines one or more pages of
a web site that is served by web server logic 620 to client devices
such as device 102. Content restriction logic 624 is a part of web
application logic 622 that controls the types of content that can
be delivered to device 102 in the manner described above.
[0061] In addition, device registration logic 626 is all or part of
one or more computer processes executing within CPU 602 from memory
604 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented
using digital logic circuitry. As used herein, "logic" refers to
(i) logic implemented as computer instructions and/or data within
one or more computer processes and/or (ii) logic implemented in
electronic circuitry. Device registration logic 626 is logic that
causes content control server 110 to register devices such as
device 102 in the manner described above.
[0062] Device permissions 630 is data stored persistently in memory
604 and includes data representing which types of content are
allowed to be delivered to various devices. Device permissions 630
can be implemented as all or part of one or more databases.
[0063] Device 102 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 7. Device 102
includes one or more microprocessors 702 (collectively referred to
as CPU 702) that retrieve data and/or instructions from memory 704
and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner. Memory
704 can include generally any computer-readable medium including,
for example, persistent memory such as magnetic and/or optical
disks, ROM, and PROM and volatile memory such as RAM.
[0064] CPU 702 and memory 704 are connected to one another through
a conventional interconnect 706, which is a bus in this
illustrative embodiment and which connects CPU 702 and memory 704
to one or more input devices 708, output devices 710, and network
access circuitry 712. Input devices 708 generate signals in
response to, and representative of, physical manipulation by the
user and can include, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, a
touch-sensitive screen, a mouse, a microphone, and one or more
cameras. Output devices 710 present information to the user and can
include, for example, a display--such as a liquid crystal display
(LCD)--and one or more loudspeakers. Network access circuitry 712
sends and receives data through computer networks such as LAN 104
(FIG. 1).
[0065] A number of components of device 102 are stored in memory
704. In particular, web browser 720 is all or part of one or more
computer processes executing within CPU 702 from memory 704 in this
illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital
logic circuitry. Web browser plug-ins 722 are each all or part of
one or more computer processes that cooperate with web browser 720
to augment the behavior of web browser 720. The manner in which
behavior of a web browser is augmented by web browser plug-ins is
conventional and known and is not described herein.
[0066] Operating system 730 is all or part of one or more computer
processes executing within CPU 702 from memory 704 in this
illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital
logic circuitry. An operating system (OS) is a set of programs that
manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for
application software such as web browser 720, web browser plug-ins
722, and digital fingerprint generator 740.
[0067] Digital fingerprint generator 740 is all or part of one or
more computer processes executing within CPU 702 from memory 704 in
this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using
digital logic circuitry. Digital fingerprint generator 740
facilitates authentication of device 102 in the manner described
above.
[0068] Digital fingerprint 742 is data stored persistently in
memory 704 and can be organized as all or part of one or more
databases.
[0069] The above description is illustrative only and is not
limiting. The present invention is defined solely by the claims
which follow and their full range of equivalents. It is intended
that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all
such alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute
equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *